July 25, 2026, 6:54 p.m. MT

The Washington Wizards, who drafted former BYU star AJ Dybantsa first overall, will now play the 76ers three times instead of four.James joins a 76ers roster that includes Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe.The Wizards feature a trio of Dybantsa, Trae Young, and Anthony Davis.

If you were hoping for former BYU Cougars star AJ Dybantsa to suit up against LeBron James four times as Southeast Division rivals, that won’t be the case during the 2026-27 season. On James’ final list of contenders in his free agency decision, the Miami Heat were a prominent team, stationed in the Southeast Division with the Washington Wizards.

Of course, the Wizards selected Dybantsa first overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, pairing him with two All-Stars in point guard Trae Young and forward Anthony Davis. The trio would’ve gone head-to-head with the Heat trio of James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo four times a year, with two games coming at home and two on the road as division opponents.

But instead of heading to Miami to join the Heat, James opted to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, joining a roster headlined by Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe. The roster is much more stacked than it would’ve been had he gone to the Heat, a team that faces questions at the guard positions after dealing away lead guard Tyler Herro in the Antetokounmpo trade.

The Wizards will not play James and the 76ers three times during the regular season. The home-and-away number of matchups has yet to be determined.

During the 2025-26 regular season with the Los Angeles Lakers, James missed 22 games at the beginning of the season with a nagging back injury. At 41 years old, the 76ers will likely give James off nights on back-to-backs and other certain circumstances in order to preserve him until April, once the playoffs come around.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!

We’ll have to wait and see how often the 2026 No. 1 pick in Dybantsa battles against the 2003 No. 1 pick in James, but it’s sure to be a battle that is must-see TV.

Contact/Follow @BYUCougarsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of BYU Cougars news, notes and opinion.